Salt dispenser



Sept. 9, 1952 v vo o 2,609,971

SALT DISPENSER Filed July 24, 1950 INV EN TOR.

Patented Sept. 9, 1952 puns!) STATES PATENT ,o FFI-C' Michael D. Vivolo, New York, Y.

Application July 24, 1950, Serial No. 175,640

1 Claim. 1

This invention relate to dispensers for salt and other powdered materials, and has particular reference to a useful and attractive device of this character which can be used as a table accessory if desired and will enable its powdered contents to be conveniently dispensed as required for various purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having alt-ejection means in the form of an air-filled compressible bulb, which can be made in numerous ornamental figures, and which when manually compressed, will cause the salt or other powdered material to be sprayed or ejected and thus directed over the article or materials intended to receive it.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a container of ornamental shape provided at the top with a compressible air bulb connected within the container to a conduit leading to the outside of the container, said conduit being apertured within the container to permit the salt or other powdered material contained in the container to enter the conduit through the aperture therein to thereby reach the interior of the conduit and be ejected therefrom by an air blast exerted through the conduit by the manual compression of the air bulb. The invention contemplates the attainment of other objects to be hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through a dispenser constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on th line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The body of the dispenser is in the form of a container l which may be made of plastic material, glass wood or other desired material. The container is preferably, but not necessarily made in cylindrical shape and may be provided with a fiat bottom or with ornamental supporting feet as shown at M, on which it may be supported on a table or other surface. Th container l is provided with an open top 2 over which is fitted the flanged portion 3 of an air-filled bulb 4 of rubber or other equivalent soft and resilient material. The flange 3 of the bulb may be ar ranged to enter a groove in the body of the container or may be fitted in a securely attached position at the top of the container in any other known manner.

The bulb 4 may be made in many shapes or forms, and as shown, it is in the form of the head of a chef or cook, but it will be obvious that it may simulate other persons, animals or other articles. The air outlet of the bulb is disposed within the container 1 and it attaches to the upper end of a passage or conduit 6 which extends downwardly through the body of the container to emerge out of the side wall thereof near the lower end of the container as indicated at I. This outlet end I of the passage or conduit 6 may be produced in a slightly-projecting nipple 8 or at any other desired point in the container to best facilitate the directive ejection of the salt or other powdered material in a manner to be described.

The salt or other powdered material to be dispensed out of the container through the outlet 1, is contained within the body of the container as shown at 9, and, said salt can descend by gravity through an opening II in the center of the body of the container which opening establishes communication between the salt chamber or interior of the container and the interior of the passage or conduit 6.

The container may be filled with the salt 9 through a filler opening normally closed by a plug 10, said opening being formed in the flange portion of the bulb 4 or at any other convenient location in the body of the container. The plug may be held in the opening by being frictionally fitted therein or it may be threaded in the opening or otherwise fitted in place to normally close the opening.

From the foregoing, the operation of the dispenser will be readily understood. To eject a quantity of the salt, the bulb 4 is manually squeezed or compressed and the air forced out of the bulb is forced down through the passage or conduit 6 to eject therefrom the quantity of salt shown at I3 which has reached the interior 0f the passage or conduit by gravitational descent through the opening II. A valve of known construction is employed in the bulb as indicated at III to permit the inflow of air to refill the bulb after manual compression.

It will be clear that by repeated pressure imposed on the bulb, the salt contents will be ejected repeatedly out of the nipple 8 and can be readily directed upon the article or food for which the salt is intended. While I have herein described the device as being particularly adapted for salt it will be apparent that it may be readily used for the disposing of various other powdered products.

While I have described one embodiment of the of the container, said passage passing on a curved V a line through the bottom of the container and having an outlet opening in one of the side walls of the container, and the bottom of the container being provided with an aperture establishing communication between the-interior of the container and the interior of the passage, said aperture being at substantially the lowest point within the container whereby powdered contents of the container will pass through said aperture to reach the interior of the passage and be ejected therefrom by air blast exerted by compression of the bulb.

MICHAEL D. VIVOLO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date "$358,329 Houghton Sept. 19, 1944 2,408,058 Gallagher Sept. 24, 1946 2,450,205 Rose Sept. 28, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 534,159 France Jan, 3, 1922 

